2_2015 Page 9

Feb_15_WF

Patient’s death
renews longtime
union concerns
BRONX — The recent murder
of a patient by another patient
at the Bronx Psychiatric Center
renewed longstanding concerns
among CSEA activists employed
at the center.
A 19-year-old individual
recently strangled a 51-year-old
individual with an electrical
cord following a dispute. The
assailant was charged with
second-degree murder.
“The facility was aware of
the deficiencies and things
they needed to do to provide
these individuals with the
proper environment,” said
Bronx Psychiatric Center Local
President Abraham Benjamin.
‘Frightening and depressing’
Benjamin described the
incident as “frightening and
depressing.”
“We’re here to help individuals
and it has had a very negative
effect on our staff,” he said.
Following the incident,
Benjamin immediately requested
an emergency meeting with
management to discuss a
number of issues, including
staffing, grief counseling and the
restoration of a secure treatment
unit.
While staff have not been
implicated in this incident,
Benjamin has repeatedly raised
awareness of the dangers posed
by low staffing levels. That was
also the case in 2010 when the
center laid off nearly 30 workers.
At the time, it had the highest
number of incidents among state
Office of Mental Health facilities,
as well as a substantial number
of lost workdays due to job
injuries. It still has among the
highest incidents of workplace
injuries in the state.
As a result of the meeting,
management has raised the
minimum night shift staff on
the wards from three to four,
including a nurse. They are also
in the process of hiring about
a dozen more mental health
therapy aides.
Need for workers
“They actually need about 22
mental health therapy aides,”
said Benjamin, since many of
the workers who were laid off
haven’t been replaced.
“CSEA continues to press
for a secure treatment unit so
that our difficult patients can
be stabilized and the other
patients can have a safer and
more cohesive therapeutic
environment,” said Benjamin,
also a secure treatment aide. The
facility hasn’t had such a unit in
more than a decade.
The facility has also started
offering grief counseling
for staff. And while some
accommodations have been
made, the union continues to
work for a better and safer
environment for individuals and
staff.
“It’s a day-by-day situation,”
said Benjamin. “We have to
remind them (management) of
what just happened. It’s still a
work in progress.”
— David Galarza
From left, Activist Donna Eagle, Bronx Psychiatric Center Local
President Abraham Benjamin, and activist Roslyn Akinware, stand
outside the psychiatric facility, which they say need more staff to
help protect patients and workers.
Fight to save Sagamore Children’s
Psychiatric Center continues
The ongoing fight to preserve the unique services provided
at Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center on Long Island
continues.
Strong support in the state Legislature coupled with community
pressure will keep services and bed capacity in place for the short
term while CSEA and allies work for a secure future.
State Sens. Phil Boyle and John Flanagan have been outspoken
in their opposition to the state Office of Mental Health reducing
bed capacity and undermine services at the facility. Sagamore is
the only public children’s inpatient facility serving Long Island’s
population of more than 3 million people. OMH has only reluctantly
honored an agreement made last spring to preserve the quality and
level of mental health services at Sagamore.
CSEA Long Island Developmental Center/Sagamore Local
President Pete Marriott and Local Vice President Jennifer Colon
have led efforts to strengthen community support. They have
repeatedly raised concerns about sufficient staffing levels.
“We believe OMH should honor their agreement to protect
patients, their families and our community,” said CSEA Long
island Region President Nick LaMorte. “And we truly appreciate
the steadfast support of Phil Boyle, John Flanagan and various
community organizations as they fight along with us to preserve the
invaluable public services offered at Sagamore.”
— Rich Impagliazzo
February 2015 The Work Force 9